10/28/2006

Beer Blogging

To warm up for the combination Halloween/Oktoberfest party I'll be going to this evening, I thought I'd do another installation of beer blogging. Last night I went to Beverages & More and picked up (among other things) two 22-oz. bombers from Full Sail Brewing. Tonight, I'll be sampling one out of their Brewmaster's Reserve, the Equinox Extra Special Bitter.

Befitting its name, the flavor of the Equinox ESB is dominated by bitterness, but it's not unpleasantly bitter at all. There's no taste of malt sweetness to speak of; the beer's entire flavor is dictated by the hops. Since the Full Sail brewery is in Oregon, I'd guess that these are Cascade hops, of which I am a huge fan. The main flavor that I get initially is lemon rind (a bitter lemon taste), but that doesn't last too long before it gets replaced by a more generic citrus flavor. Since it only has 5.7% alcohol by volume, you can't really taste any alcohol, which contributes to the smooth taste of the Equinox, despite its bitter flavors.

Rating: 8/10. If you like sweet beers, this one has absolutely nothing to offer you. It's about hops, hops, hops. But if you're a fan of pale ales, IPAs or ESBs, you will enjoy this beer.

10/12/2006

Beer Blogging

Mmmmm, beer.

Tonight I'll be drinking Rogue Chocolate Stout, made by Rogue Ales out of Newport, Oregon.

Now that's a beautiful dark beer. Pouring it reminded me of nothing so much as pouring out motor oil; it's thick, just like a stout should be. The first thing you get when you taste it is the roasted hop flavor, and maybe a bit of bitter hop flavor and some oatmeal. The roasted and bitter flavors stick around, joined by a sweet dark chocolate note. There's not a ton of aftertaste to speak of, which is a little surprising in a beer like this, but that doesn't detract from the overall experience. Aftertaste is more important in bitter beers (IPAs, ESBs) than it is in a dark beer, in my opinion. Here you get a hint of hops, a hint of chocolate, and that's it.

Rating: 8/10. Recommended for anyone who likes dark, flavorful beers, even if you don't normally like chocolate stouts. This is a really good specimen, and if you're going to like one, this will be it.